


Mythical Warrior Voltron

by jessiqualove



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Archer!Lance, Gen, I'll tag as I go, Knight!Shiro, Squire!Keith
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-05
Updated: 2018-04-23
Packaged: 2019-03-14 10:42:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13588389
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jessiqualove/pseuds/jessiqualove
Summary: On the continent of Daibazaal lives two great kingdoms, the Galra Empire and the Kingdom of Altea, have been at war with each other. In the most recent battle, Emperor Zarkon was able to strike down King Alfor. Princess Allura is desperate for anything to save her kingdom.





	1. A New Hope

Hurried footsteps were sounding down the hall. A man bursts into the throne room, gasping for air. The princess and royal advisor looked to the man, surprise crossing their faces before curiosity settles in. Silencing their differing opinions on what war tactics they should recommend to the king, Princess Allura rushes to the gasping man’s side.

“Shiro! What has happened?” She asked her knight. “Have you brought news from the frontlines?”

“Yes princess,” Shiro answers. “But it isn’t good.”

The knight handed the princess the report that contained the news of the raging battle between the Altean Kingdom and the Galra Empire. The princess scans the letter and falls to her knees. King Alfor had been slain by Emperor Zarkon and the Altean army was forced to retreat allowing the Galra Empire to take control of another territory.

Coran knelt next to the princess and hugged her. Snapping out of her shock, Allura held Coran and began to grieve for the lose of her father. Coran dismissed the knight, asking him to return later when the princess has calmed herself.

 

* * *

 

 

That night Allura laid in bed, thinking of how she could have done something to stop this madness. To save her people from the grief of this never-ending war. To restore the lost territories to their natural state and gain friendly allies to negotiate trade routes for goods. To have her father there as he watches her become the Queen the kingdom deserves.

These restless thoughts cycled in Allura’s head, keeping her from a restful slumber. As she sat up from her bed, four little mice that have taken residence in her castle awaken from their slumber looking to the princess. Allura did not mind them as they kept her company through the rough times when she could not burden her father or advisor of her troubling thoughts.

All four mice scurried onto Allura’s lap with concern. Unsure of how they can help calm Allura’s troubled mind, the pink mouse starts squeaking in concern. Allura takes notice of the mouse’s squeaking and chuckles. Realizing that she had been worrying her small friends.

“I am fine Chuchule,” she speaks softly. “Just worried about the future for my kingdom. This war has taken so many lives and hurt so many people. I am not sure if I will be able to lead the people to a peaceful end.

“My father has led Altea with an unshakeable amount of hope for the future. He believed that he could end this 10,000-year old war, but Zarkon is relentless in his conquest. And for what?” the princess cries. “I don’t even know why the Galra are so insistent in taking control of the entire continent of Daibazaal! I just want the people who are caught up in this stupid war to not suffer any more! To be able to live in peace without worry of two armies clashing over some stupid, forgotten reason!”

The mice look at the princess with concerned eyes as they didn’t know what to do to help. Realization hits the smallest mouse in the group, Chulatt, as their ears perk up and they begin a mass squeaking frenzy with the other three mice. Allura takes notice of the squeaking conversation that she cannot understand.

All the mice began to pull Allura’s night gown. Allura takes it as the mice asking her to follow them. The group leave her quarters in a slow walk around the castle. Allura soon realizes that the mice have led her into her father’s study. The princess is hit with a surge of emotions as tears begin to form in her eyes. Before she could shed a tear, Chuchule and Platt, the large, round yellow mouse, started squeaking and miming some actions. Allura wasn’t quite sure what they were trying to tell her until she realized that Platt was pretending to write something while Chuchule was pretending to be a table.

Allura looked up from the two mice on the floor to her father’s desk. They were struggling to pull an envelope that had been tucked in between some books that King Alfor had set aside for research. Allura approached the desk and pulled the envelope from its hiding spot as the two mice backed away. The princess noticed that the envelope had her name written on it and immediately began to rip it open to read the message that her father had left her.

_To my dearest Allura,_

_If you are reading this letter, chances are that I have died in battle._

_As you know, I have been doing some extensive research as to why Zarkon is so insistent on conquering the many territories that make up Daibazaal. I felt it very odd that this war to last for so many years with a reason that has become lost to us but not to the Galran king._

_As I looked through the Altean history logs, each king and queen before me have asked the same questions time and time again. It wasn’t until I found the diary of King Almor I who was the first ruler of Altea. His diary confirmed something that I did not dream to be true._

_Allura, Voltron is real. The legends are real, and we must keep Zarkon from getting his hands on the Lion Amulets. I have done my best to find any leads to the amulets should the need to bring Voltron back were to arise. Unfortunately, I could not find any information on the Red, Green, Blue, and Yellow Lion amulets, but I have found that King Almor left the Black Lion Amulet in his throne at the very top of the chair. I was unable to remove the amulet. It may be that I am unworthy to be the black paladin of Voltron but fear not for I have faith that you can find the black paladin and bring us closer to peace._

_I am sure this is quite a shock to you and you feel quite lost without me there to guide you and keep your spirits up. You must stay strong Allura. Our people need you now more than ever to keep their spirits strong and to keep hope alive. I know you must think of me sounding silly to ask this of you, but I am afraid that you will be forced to take part in something that is even greater than this war._

_I love you Allura and I wish with all my heart that I could have ended the war myself and bring peace to the whole continent of Daibazaal. I hope this little bit of information will help you._

_Love,_

_Alfor_

Tears ran down Allura’s face as she read he father’s final letter. A flame lit in Allura’s eyes with a new-found determination for the request that King Alfor asked of his only child. Find the paladins. Form Voltron.


	2. Black Paladin

Coran had been searching for Allura all morning. He had checked her usual spots from her room to the library. He even wandered into the late king’s study to see if the princess was seeking comfort for the loss of her father. He had no luck finding Allura in there, but the room seemed to be in such a mess as if someone had been in there researching like the king had done. Coran spent part of his morning cleaning up the place before carrying on with finding the princess. After searching high and low and in almost every nook and cranny of the castle, Coran came across the princess standing on the royal throne still in her night gown.

“Princess!” the advisor practically yelled startling Allura from almost losing her balance.

“Coran! I am so glad you are here,” the princess exclaimed as she attempts to pull a round object from the top of the throne. “Please help me. I am trying to get this amulet to come out, but it… won’t… budge!”

“Princess… I think that ‘amulet’ is a part of the design for the throne. I am fairly certain a Yor Mule from the Yor-tus fields can’t pry that thing out.”

“Coran, you don’t understand!” Allura exclaimed as she turned around to look at the advisor. “This amulet is very important! We could save Daibazaal from Zarkon’s conquest.”

The royal advisor looked rather unconvinced and Allura paused. Looking down to the ground, figuring out what she was going to tell the advisor to convince him. Before she could even open her mouth, a knock on the door echoed throughout the throne room.

“Princess?” Shiro said as he poked his head through the doors. The throne vibrated furiously as if sensing the knight’s presence from across the room. “I have some urgent matters that need to be addressed. Parliament would like to discuss with you on a public announcement of the king’s death as well as discuss battle tactics with the generals now that King Alfor has passed. They also wanted to discuss your ascension to become Queen, but the council understands if you feel the need to delay and asked if a week would be a sufficient amount of time to grieve.”

As soon as Shiro began talking, Allura immediately began to wonder what had just happened. She realized that the amulet was responding. As if it had sense Shiro’s presence and was calling to him.

“Shiro, please come here,” the princess asked the knight as she stepped down from the seat with help from Coran.

The knight walked towards the princess feeling a familiar pull as he approached. He couldn’t help but realize that the pull was stronger today than it ever was before.

“Shiro, can you please tell me what you know of Voltron?” asked Allura. The knight gave the princess a questioning look before answering.”

“Isn’t that an old Altean fairy tale?” the knight questioned.

“It is,” the princess answered then motioned for the knight to continue.

“Well… If I remember correctly, it’s a story about five paladins who rode lions and wielded powerful magic. The paladins were the defenders of the people and helped those in need without question. And when they put their magic together, they summoned a powerful deity. A warrior known as Voltron.”

Allura hummed acknowledging the knight’s words to be true. She continued, “And what happened to the paladins and their lions?”

“Hmmm… well, the paladins fought an evil monster that wanted to consume Voltron’s power. They supposedly won but in order to keep Voltron out of evil hands, the paladins sealed the lions into amulets and silently hid them away for a time when Voltron would need to rise again.”

“If I may princess, what does Voltron have to do with anything? Especially you trying to yank out a circle from the throne?” the advisor questioned.

“Shiro. Coran. My father has put much time and effort in stop this war from taking any more lives and keep Zarkon from taking the freedom of innocent people in an ugly quest for something we did not know about until now.

“King Alfor had poured his heart and soul to find a reason, an answer to a question that we have asked at one point in time or another: ‘What does Zarkon want?’” the princess stated.

“Last night, I stumbled upon a letter my father wrote me. The legends of Voltron are true. Voltron does exist,” the princess stated looking directly into Shiro’s eyes. “King Almor I, the very first king of Altea, was the black paladin 10,000-years ago. The tale is correct in that the lions were sealed and hidden away. King Almor took caution and made sure that no one knew where the any of the amulets were hidden. But with that caution, Voltron was kept away from everyone and turned into a child’s tale.

“Shiro, the Black Lion amulet is embedded into the king’s throne, waiting for its next paladin. Waiting for **you** to release it from its slumber and protect Daibazaal from a great evil that is rising,” Allura announced.

“Princess, how do you know that the Black Lion is calling to Shiro?” Coran asked.

“When Shiro entered the throne room, the chair shook rather hard as if it knew he was in the room,” Allura stated as if it were a matter of fact to the advisor then turned to the knight. “I believe that the Black Lion is calling out to you Shiro. Do you not feel the same?”

“To be honest princess,” the knight solemnly said, “I have always felt a pull from the throne, but it was always in the presence of your father. I naturally assumed it was because I valued his position as a leader and looked up to him for guidance. Your father has been nothing but kind to me given my short comings.

“When I was a soldier in the army, your father saw great potential in me as a leader. He even complimented me on my natural ability to lead my fellow troops in the heat of the battle on many occasions,” the knight reminisced. “But in one very important battle, a very hasty decision on my part cost me my right arm and the lives of almost every person in my squadron. So many people looked up to me and I was too afraid to do one simple thing that could have saved my men’s lives.

“I was so ready to leave the army a disgrace to the kingdom, but your father stopped me. He believed that I had potential to be a great leader Altea as ever seen, but I just didn’t have the heart to believe him after that battle,” the knight admitted with his head hanging. “But your father right through me. He saw what was eating me up inside. My insecurities as a leader due to lack of experience. My reluctance to ask for help when I needed it most. The fear to let down the people around me. He saw it all. And he gave me comfort that it was okay for me to make mistakes. That this one battle did not mean the end of the war, but a stepping stone to learn from for the next battle. That it was okay to ask for help when you don’t have all the answers.

“When King Alfor offered me the position as Captain of the Royal Guard, I was reluctant to take it,” Shiro had admitted. “At the time, I thought the king was pushing me to be the person I was not ready to be. I was wrong. My position as both captain and a knight has taught me very valuable lessons on how to be a strong leader and how it’s ok to rely on your men when you know you can’t do things alone.

“Which is why, princess, I will help you. I want to help you to stop the Galra Empire and free our land from their tyrannous rule,” the knight told the princess. “All I ask is in my time of need, would you be willing to offer me the same help, even when I am too stubborn and blind to ask for it?”

“Yes, Shiro,” Allura said with a strong, determined voice.

The knight smiled then stepped forward to the throne. Looking at the circular item that rested at the top of the chair, Shiro couldn’t help but feel a bit nervous about taking the amulet. He swallowed back the seed of doubt that was forming in the back of his mind as he reached for the circle. The knight barely touched the amulet when it fell out into his hand.

Shiro turned around to look at the princess and royal advisor. Both speechless as they took in what just happened.

“My word,” the royal advisor gasped. “Sir Takashi Shirogane, the Black Paladin of Voltron. Well call me a monkey’s uncle, I can’t believe it!”

“You better believe it!” a small voice exclaimed. “It’s not easy proving your worth to a lion of Voltron.”

The human and Alteans were shocked as they looked around to find where the voice had come from. They all looked around to find a rather large, fluffy black cat with large yellow eyes sitting on the throne next to Shiro.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back! I'm happy that you guys have made it this far as I am still fairly new to being a fic writer. I do hope to maintain a weekly update schedule, so wish me luck! I am looking for ideas or suggestions. Prompt ideas are also welcomed as well so please feel free to message me. I have posted some art for this fic and will post more at a later time/date. In the meantime, please let me know what y'all think of my fic and tell me if there are any errors. Thanks! ~Jessica
> 
> Side note: A Yor Mule is a super large, beefy mule that is super strong and temperamental. I may or may not bring it back, depending on how I go about writing the upcoming chapters.


	3. Plan of Action

“Hello there!” the black cat purred. Shiro, Allura, and Coran jumped back, unsure of what to make of their new furry friend.

“Ummm… Is it just me or did that cat just speak?” Shiro asked.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you all,” the cat chuckled. “I wanted to thank you for releasing me and introduce myself. I am the Black Lion, guardian spirit of the sky”

Shiro relaxed and stepped closer to the cat, “You’re the black lion? Pardon me, my name is – “

“Sir Takashi Shirogane,” Black interrupted, “I know who you are as well as the princess and royal advisor. I have been watching you all rather closely and you have proven yourself to become quite the knight.” Shiro blushed from the compliment.

“If I may, why are you a cat? Shouldn’t your form be of a lion with wings?” the princess asked.

“Hahaha… about that…” Black mumbles feeling embarrassed. “I… don’t have full access to all of my powers so I can’t really use my lion form right now.”

“Oh no! Is there any way we can return your power to what it once was?” the princess panicked.

“Don’t worry princess! My powers are limited to my connection with my paladin and the other lions” Black said trying to calm the princess. “Once we find the other lions, some of my powers should begin to resurface. And while we are finding my brothers and sisters, Shiro and I can use that time to bond. Sometimes powers form when a paladin and their lion become closer.

“For now, the most important thing for us to do is to find the other lions,” Black stated. “My connection to most them is very weak right now, but I can sense the Red Lion will awaken soon. If we can find Red, we can definitely find his paladin”

“Do you know where Red is located?” the advisor asked.

“I feel his presence Northeast of here. I sense mountains, yet the area doesn’t feel cold in the slightest. The air feels hot and humid,” Black responded.

“Sounds like the Taujeer Mountains,” Coran exclaimed. “Those mountains are home to the large and gentle Taujeerian people. The Taujeer are migrants and are known to settle near volcanoes. They say that there is a dormant volcano near the current settlement. My boy, if you plan to go to the mountains, I highly recommend you bring some help with you. I overheard some knights say that they suspect recent Galran activity in the area.”

Shiro nodded, “Thanks Coran. I know just the person to bring with me for this trip. In the meantime, what will you be doing princess? I know the council is feeling pretty antsy right now considering the king’s passing.”

For a moment the princess had a grim look on her face, it was as though she felt unprepared to face the council without her father’s guidance. Allura took a deep breath and willed herself with determination to push forward. _You are no longer a child Allura,_ the princess thought to herself. _You can do this! My people need me, and I cannot allow myself the luxury to face the people while hiding in the castle._

“I will make plans to meet with Parliament. The people need to know that my father died in the battlefield fighting for a free world. In terms of the formalities for my ascension to Queen, I will see to postponing it. I’d rather not take the crown until we are rid of the threat of the Galran Empire. However, I am worried that I will have a harder time convincing the council in believing in Voltron.”

“I agree princess. I imagine that they will consider your actions childish and say that you are putting too much faith in a fairy tale,” Coran said as his face saddened with the idea of the council not taking the princess’ words seriously.

“You know, I bet if you were to prove to the council that Voltron exists, they may sing a different tune,” Black chimed in. “I mean, considering that you will soon have two lions and two paladins of Voltron by your side could convince a few of those council members that the tale of Voltron is more than just a bedtime story.”

“I agree with Black. If the council is shown definite proof that the Lions exist, they might put more faith in you,” said Shiro.

Allura couldn’t help but feel her heart swell as the lion and paladin offered their help. “Well then it is settled! You two need to get going and prepare for your trip. I expect you to leave no later than by tomorrow morning. After all, I am going to need both paladins for my meeting with the council and they don’t like to wait!” the princess exclaimed as she shooed Shiro and Black out of the throne room.

“Coran, please inform the council that I will graciously take the week to mourn my father’s passing,” the princess said to the royal advisor. “I wish to give Shiro the time he needs to travel and find the Red Lion.”

 

* * *

 

 

After being pushed out of the throne room by Allura, Shiro and Black made their way to the training grounds right outside the East wing where the knights of the castle were stationed to live. Shiro was on a mission to find the squire who could assist him in his mission to find the Red Lion.

Shiro found his squire, Keith Kogane, in the middle of a battle with two magically imbued training dummies made from clay. The squire was dodging and weaving from the dummies’ attacks with ease. Shiro mentally commended Keith for being able to read the attacks. Keith managed to lure the dummies to attacking each other with Keith landing the finishing blow. Once he was done, the squire took notice of Shiro watching him from the sidelines.

As Keith made his way over to the taller man, he noticed a familiar disappointed frown on the man’s face. “That was impressive, but I think you would have had an easier time with some help,” the knight had subtly suggested to the squire.

Keith sighed, “Well I think I’m better off alone. I like the challenge to push myself to the limits and besides, the other squires are a bunch of wusses.”

“You need to branch out Keith and make some friends. You know you won’t be able to fulfill your dream if you can’t even make a single friend,” Shiro said sounding exasperated.

 _People are just hard to deal with,_ Keith thought to himself. _They’re the ones that have a problem with me._

Keith was a hot-shot squire who had a knack for getting himself in trouble with most of the authority figures in the castle. Although the problem in of itself had risen when the boy’s parents died when he was only ten years old. At a very young age, Keith had to live on the streets being kicked around and having adults shun him by calling him a parentless rat forcing the poor boy to use his wits and get what he needed by stealing. This way of living caused Keith to feel a lot of anger towards many adults who didn’t show any signs of respect.

It all stopped when Keith made the mistake of attempting to steal from Shiro. Shiro had occasionally liked to venture into the town right outside of the castle grounds to check in on his knight disguised as a local. Shiro did a little too well looking like a villager that Keith set his sights to pick pocket the one-armed man during his undercover patrol of the town. When Shiro caught Keith taking his money sack, Shiro subdued the boy with ease and arrested him for pick pocketing.

Shiro never really understood the idea of orphan criminals. He naturally assumed that they were just some of the rowdier kids from the neighborhood orphanage who found amusement in causing trouble. Never thought that a kid like Keith would feel so lost without someone to look up to, to guide the boy down a straight path to a good life. It took some time and convincing, but Shiro managed to get the boy to spill the beans.

In all honesty, Keith seemed like he was a good kid. He was just needed some guidance, so Shiro gave Keith an ultimatum: jail or knighthood. The was fully against becoming a knight at first, but Shiro managed to convince the boy that being a knight wasn’t all bad. Being a knight would put the boy in a better position to help other kids like him. Maybe convince the community to do better in providing for orphans. A possibility for a better life, not just for himself, but for other kids lite a fire in Keith’s eyes. Keith accepted the offer for knighthood and Shiro pushed Keith forward in the Knight’s Garrison, where squires learn and train to become the knights of tomorrow.

With Keith’s future set in place come some of the hardships. Keith had always been a bit of a problem child doing things from disobeying orders to his sour attitude to even upsetting one of the combat training instructors which forced Shiro to bow his head for the boy’s actions one too many times than he would have liked. In all fairness, Sir Iverson was not a very good people person and was bound to get punched by one of the squires at some point. It just happened that Keith was the object of his assault even if the man praised Keith with his natural born talent with a sword and sharp battle instincts.

Shiro had a significant amount of respect for Keith as time grew. He trusted the boy with his life and knew he could be his right hand in any situation. Which is why Shiro knew he could count on Keith for this mission.

“We’ll talk about this later,” Shiro said. “In the meantime, Princess Allura has tasked us with an important mission, so I need you to prepare two horses and some supplies. We will be traveling to the Taujeer Mountains at first light tomorrow.”

Keith noticed a black cat on Shiro’s shoulder. “I didn’t know you were a cat person.”

“Yeah, that took me by surprise, too,” Shiro laughed. “This may come as a shock, but this is the Black Lion of Voltron and I am his paladin. It seems that Voltron is real and that the Galra Empire is after the lions and their power. Keith, we need to get to the lions first before Zarkon can get his hands on them.”

“Sir Shiro is right,” Black said. “My brothers and sisters are in danger. We can’t let Zarkon get his hands on any of them. Who knows what he could do to them.”

Black talking took Keith by surprise, but the squire couldn’t help but feel sad for the lion… err, cat. “Shiro, I trust you and I believe that if what you say is true, then I would be honored to help you, the princess, _and_ the Black Lion of Voltron,” Keith said as he kneeled to the knight and his lion.

“That’s good to hear. Then we’ll see you tomorrow,” Shiro said with a smile.

 

* * *

 

 

In the dark room stood a hooded figure with white hair falling from the hood. Their eyes were closed as they chanted a spell in an ancient tongue. Suddenly, their yellow eyes shot open as they gasp feeling a magical power that had not surfaced for 10,000 years suddenly awaken.

“I must tell the emperor,” the hooded figure growled.

The hooded figure traveled through the barely lite castle to the throne room where Emperor Zarkon sat at his throne looking stoic yet menacing at the same time. Zarkon took notice of the hooded figure approaching him.

“Haggar,” Zarkon acknowledged, “What news do you have?”

“My lord, I sense the Lions of Voltron are finally awakening from their slumber,” the witch announced. “The Black Lion was first to awaken, and I suspect the others to soon follow. I am sensing the Red Lion is stirring as we speak.”

A sinister looking grin crawled onto Zarkon’s face as he listened to the witch. Zarkon turned to the closest foot soldier, “Tell the generals to deploy more troops into the newly acquired areas. Search for signs of the Lion Amulets! And inform the frontlines to prepare for another battle with Altea.”

In the shadows, not too far from the throne room, a galran with long white hair listened into the emperor’s private hearing. “So, it seems that there’s some trouble brewing in Altea,” the man said amused.

The man walked away as to avoid any unwanted attention from the witch or the emperor. A soldier came up from behind the man. “Boss, what are your orders?”

“Tell Alpha team to send in a few undercover agents into Altea. I want to keep a close eye on the lion situation.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay on this chapter!!! Life sorta got in the way and I ended up with some pretty bad writer's block. But now I'm back! I'm hopeful to get back on track! >:D


	4. The Search

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm slowly getting there with the story. With having the bigger picture planned out, I sometimes have trouble with the smaller details. *Nervously laughs* But don't worry, I'm working through them! I'm on a mission to make sure that I keep this story alive! In the meantime, if anyone has suggestions, I'm all ears. Send me a shout at my tumblr or here! Either way works!

Shiro, Black, and Keith had been traveling through a heavy forest. The Taujeer Mountains were a range of mountains located about a two-day trip on horseback from the Castle of Lions. They were getting close as the forest was clearing up, leading to the base of the mountain range.

Shiro took the liberty to fill Keith in on the late king’s death and Allura’s plans. Shiro knew that Allura would be fighting the council as some of the more difficult members tend to ignore the princess’ ideas.

Shiro decided to put the council confrontation to the back of his mind. He figured that the princess knew what she was doing. There were more important matters at hand.

Keith looked to Black, who was nestled on a rolled-up blanket strapped to Shiro’s horse. “So how are we going to find the Red Lion and his paladin?” the squire inquired.

“Well, I’m not exactly sure,” the lion confessed. “I can only tell you where Red is located. As for his paladin, it’s up to Red on who he deems worthy. Although… he can be **very** temperamental and hard to control at times. He probably won’t come with us so easily. Even I had a hard time trying to get that lion to listen to me, but in my years knowing him, Red tends to listen to his paladin.”

“Then how do we go about finding his paladin?” Shiro asked.

“Red is a very hard lion to control, and thus, his paladin must be in tune with their instincts. Often, actions tend to speak louder than words to this lion. Red’s paladin is just gonna have to **show** him that he or she is capable.”

Keith grumbled in frustration. He didn’t like the idea of appealing to some stuck-up lion who had to be super picky on who his _chosen paladin_ had to be. Especially since they had no plan on how to woo this lion in to helping them save their home.

Shiro could sense the squire seething in his mind. He knew Keith wasn’t one for round about ways to get things done, but there wasn’t much that they could do. Until they could find Red, their means of getting someone to bond with the lion were limited. For now, the knight felt the need to calm his squire before he exploded on the next person who could mildly annoy the boy.

Shiro tied the reins to his horse on to the saddle and placed his hand on Keith’s shoulder, grounding the squire from his thoughts. “It’ll be okay Keith. This is not an ideal situation for us, but I’m sure things will work out.”

Keith smiled at the knight. He felt some of the weight lift from his shoulders as his mentor reassured his feelings of doubt and calmed his growing frustration. Keith knew that Shiro was right. That things would work themselves out.

 

* * *

 

 

It had been almost mid-morning when the group had arrived at the small migrant village near the base of the mountains. There were many large white, multi-segmented people roaming around going about their business. The knight and squire decided to settle themselves at a nearby lodging made for travelers who were passing through in the town while discussing how they would go about looking for Red.

“Black, can you sense Red’s presence in the area?” the knight asked.

Black took a moment to concentrate. “No,” the cat sighed, “I’m afraid there’s too much interference. My best guess is the mountains in the surrounding area are affecting my ability to find my brother.”

“I see, then I guess we are going to have to do this the old fashion way. Keith, I want you to ask the locals to see if they have any information about a mystical lion or an amulet. They might know something, even if we have to work with legends or myths. That could help us find some direction with finding Red,” Shiro instructed Keith. “Black and I will try talking to the chief of the village. It’s possible that he knows something about the Galra that may have some connection with the Red Lion.”

Both knights split up with their tasks.

While Shiro and Black took off to talk to the village chief, Keith began talking to the locals for any clues that could lead him to Red. After spending a few hours talking to many villagers and a few travelers, the squire was getting frustrated. Not a single person knew a thing about a lion or a magical amulet that was possibly hidden in the area. The squire wasn’t one for giving up so easily, so he decided to change tactics.

Keith began asking the villagers if anything out of the ordinary has recently happened in the area. Many of the villagers were reluctant to say anything to the squire even going as far as to avoid the question. Something had them spooked and Keith was willing to get to the bottom of it.

While Keith was speaking to a couple of patrons of a local tavern, a hooded man overheard the squire’s conversation. He seemed intrigued of the investigative work the squire was taking and felt compelled to speak to the dark-haired man.

“Are you sure there isn’t anything you guys can tell me?” the squire asked. Both Taujeerians shook their heads as they turned away from Keith to face the bar.

Keith sighed as he was getting frustrated with his search. “You know… There’s a little rumor going around these parts,” a man in a blue hood said from a few seats over. The squire walked over to the man, intent on listening to what he has to say. “They say there’s a dragon that sleeping in the volcano, and it’s protecting a powerful treasure.”

"A treasure?"

"Yup! Many adventurers have died on the journey to the volcano. Many of the locals believe that the dragon has been hibernating for the past 10,000 years protecting the treasure. Since there has been recent volcanic activity, the locals think dragon is soon to awaken and are afraid that once it wakes up, the dragon will start attacking."

Keith’s eyes light up as he processed the information. He thought that the dragon maybe protecting Red’s lion amulet. Without even thinking, the squire had resolved to go to the volcano to look for the lion amulet. The hooded man could see the wheels turning in Keith’s mind. He got the feeling letting this guy try to face the dragon alone would be a bad idea and some serious damage control would be in order.

“You’re an idiot if you think you are gonna go up that volcano and slay the dragon. The journey up to the volcano is already bad enough that many die along the way. And the few adventurers who do make it up there are eaten by the dragon.”

“It doesn’t matter. I’m on an important mission from Princess Allura of Altea. I have to go up to that volcano and check out that dragon!”

“Oh, wow! That’s a surprise! Princess Allura is caring enough to send some kid fresh out of knight training to handle a dragon of all things!” the hooded man said as he rolled his eyes.

“Believe what you want! I plan to carry out my mission in the name of Altea. If it means going up that volcano and slaying a dragon, then I’ll do it!” Keith exclaimed with a burning fire in his eyes.

“Hmph! Well if that’s the case, I guess I’m gonna have to go with you. Besides, I can’t have you taking all the glory of slaying a dragon,” the dark-skinned man smirked.

The squire looked to the hooded man in shock. “No! I can’t involve a civilian in knightly affairs. Besides it’s too dangerous for you to -”

“Look buddy, without my help, you wouldn’t have known about the dragon in the first place,” the hooded man stated. “And there are plenty of mountains around the area and only one sleeping volcano, so I doubt that you have the knowledge to find it without getting lost or worse.”

“Oh, and I bet you know where that volcano is located and how to get to it?” Keith snapped.

“Yes, I do! And I can guarantee that you’ll be killed before even make it outside of the settlement if you don’t know where to go! The path leading to the volcano is dangerous. Even if you knew where it was, getting there could cost you your life.”

Keith took a step back and realized the man was right but he didn’t want to admit it. “Fine,” Keith sighed, “but only if you bring a weapon. I’m not going to be responsible for you escorting me up to a dangerous volcano, and especially if you can’t defend yourself.”

“Well lucky me ‘cause I’m one step ahead of you”  the hooded man smirked as he pulled his bow and arrows from under the bar. “And besides, I was already planning on heading up to the volcano anyways. Having a travel buddy will just be a bonus.

“By the way, the name’s Lance” the hooded man said extending his hand to the squire. “Do you have a name or should I call you ‘Sir Mullet’?”

“Keith” the squire said as he shook Lance’s hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What'll happen at the volcano? Who knows? ;)

**Author's Note:**

> Hi Everyone! This is my very first fic that I've ever written. I hope everyone enjoyed it! I have some ideas for this fic and I am still planning this story as I write. Please send me ideas or suggestions. Criticism is welcomed. If y'all wanna chat or send ideas hit me up on tumblr:
> 
> Main Blog: @jessiqualove  
> Art Blog: @jessiqualovesart  
> Writing Blog: @jessiqualoveswriting


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